Le vice-ministre de l`Industrie de la Libye, Hassan Darole

[Le vice-ministre de l'Industrie de la Libye, Hassan Darole, a été abattu à Syrte, à 500 kilomètres à
l'est de la capitale libyenne Tripoli, ont indiqué dimanche des sources sécuritaires à Xinhua.M.
Darole a été abattu par des activistes non identifiés près du marché Mekmdas dans le centre-ville de
Syrte, lors d'une visite de sa ville natale, selon une source sécuritaire. Sa mort a également été
confirmée par une source médicale à l'hôpital Ibn Sina de Syrte.M. Darole était également membre
du Conseil national transitoire formé à la suite de la révolte de 2011 qui a renversé le régime de
Mouammar Kadhafi.]
BURUNDI :
RWANDA :
RDC CONGO :
98% de l'or produit au Congo exporté en fraude
12/01/14/Source: Belga
RDC Quelque 98% de l'or produit en République démocratique du Congo (RDC) est exporté en
fraude, ce qui contribue au financement des nombreux groupes armés proliférant dans l'est du pays,
affirme le dernier rapport annuel -encore non publié- du groupe des experts de l'ONU sur la RDC,
dont l'agence de presse Belga a obtenu une copie.
De nombreux groupes armés présents dans l'est congolais tirent des profits financiers de la
production et du commerce des ressources naturelles qui abondent dans cette région riche en
minerais divers.
En ce qui concerne l'or, le groupe d'experts souligne que de nombreux sites miniers se trouvent dans
des zones "post-conflit" (c'est-à-dire où les combats ont généralement pris fin) mais que la
production provenant de ces zones est mélangée avec celle de zones de conflit, "particulièrement
dans les grandes villes de négoce de l'est de la RDC et dans les pays de transit (que sont les voisins)
l'Ouganda, le Burundi et la Tanzanie".
L'absence de transparence dans le commerce de l'or rend difficile de distinguer l'"or des conflits" de
celui provenant des autres régions, ajoute le rapport, extrêmement bien documenté et qui affirme
aussi que les rebelles congolais du Mouvement du 23 mars (M23), vaincus en novembre dernier, ont
bénéficié jusque fin octobre d'un soutien en provenance du territoire rwandais.
Les experts estiment que 98% de l'or produit en RDC est exporté en fraude et que la quasi-totalité
de l'or traité en Ouganda, "le principal pays de transit" pour ce minerai précieux, est "exporté
illégalement" depuis l'ex-Zaïre.
Le résultat de ces trafics est que la RDC et l'Ouganda "perdent des millions de dollars chaque
année" à la suite l'absence de perception de taxes et tolèrent un système qui finance les groupes
armés en RDC, souligne le rapport, daté du 12 novembre et adressé à la présidence tournante du
Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies.
Selon une estimation du Service géologique des Etats-Unis ("US Geological Survey") cité par le
rapport, les mineurs artisanaux établis en RDC produisent environ 10.000 kilos d'or par an. Mais de
janvier à octobre 2013, les exportations n'ont officiellement atteint que 180,76 kilos.
Les experts évaluent également la valeur de l'or exporté clandestinement du Congo en 2013 à des
montants oscillant entre 383 et 409 millions de dollars. En se fondant sur la valeur estimée du
minerai, le groupe estime que le gouvernement congolais a perdu entre 7,7 et 8,2 millions de dollars
en taxes durant l'année 2013.
Les principales villes de négoce pour l'exportation illégale d'or dans l'est de la RDC sont Bukavu (le
chef-lieu de la province du Sud-Kivu), Butembo (au Nord-Kivu), Bunia (chef-lieu du district de
l'Ituri, en province Orientale), Ariwara (dans le même district) et Kisangani (le chef-lieu de la
province Orientale).
Le rapport cite nommément une série de personnes spécialisées dans le commerce d'or, tant en RDC
que dans les pays voisins, dont l'Ouganda, le Burundi et la Tanzanie.
Selon les experts, les mêmes trafics concernent la production congolaise des "trois T" (en anglais
étain, tungstène et tantale), dont de nombreuses mines sont contrôlées par les groupes armés et les
Forces armées de la RDC (FARDC, l'armée gouvernementale).
Et cela, en dépit des initiatives de l'Organisation de Coopération et de Développement économiques
(OCDE) et de la Conférence internationale sur la Région des Grands Lacs (CIRGL) sur la
validation des sites miniers pour lutter contre l'exploitation illégale de minerais alimentant des
conflits, souligne encore le rapport.
UGANDA :
Uganda ponders new wildlife law as elephant poaching numbers drop
By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Africa Correspondent/eturbonews.com/Jan 12, 2014
KAMPALA, Uganda - (eTN) Uganda, unlike most of her East African neighbours, has a success
story to tell when it comes to protecting the elephant which are found in several of the 10 national
parks across the country.
According to recent comments made by Charles Tumwesigye, a senior official at the Uganda
Wildlife Authority, reported poaching cases in 2013 dropped to just 11, down from 25 in 2012,
largely as a result of substantially improved intelligence gathering and surveillance methods
introduced to the UWA ranger force.
Inspite of this success, only Rwanda reported less elephant poached last year with single digit
numbers – the land of a thousand hills has elephants in only one of the country’s three national
parks, Akagera – as Uganda presently pondering a significant strengthening of the existing Wildlife
Act, with amendments pending before cabinet for consideration before parliament can debate and
pass it.
‘Our parliament, I hope, will soon have a chance to redeem itself when they get the amended
wildlife bill for discussion. The passing of such laws like the anti mini skirt bill and the
homosexuality bill have brought shame to our country and made us a laughing stock on the social
media. These people need to get serious in what they do. There are more important issues
beleaguering our country which need legislation and a tough new wildlife bill is among them.
Kenya has passed it and now poachers face life in prison and very strong financial fines. Even if our
poaching numbers are low, and I applaud law enforcement and UWA for that success, Uganda’s
name keeps coming up as a transit country for blood ivory from Congo and South Sudan. When
they nab that ivory in Mombasa, all they say is it came from Uganda. Our poaching numbers have
gone down last year by more than half but just being named is bad for us. We must improve border
security to prevent ivory from neighbouring countries to enter Uganda and then transit to the port in
Mombasa. Another positive thing is that we are now catching people in Entebbe when they want to
fly out and try to smuggle ivory in their baggage. Me and my colleagues hope that our government
will also crush or burn some of that ivory to make a public point that poaching in Uganda,
smuggling of ivory in Uganda, has zero tolerance’ wrote a regular contributor after discussing the
positive trend UWA’s Tumwesigye had announced last weekend.
In contrast, the country with the worst record in elephant poaching is Tanzania, with recent statistics
published which cast grave doubts on the survival of the last great herds in the Selous and Ruaha
parks. In the Selous the numbers of elephants, after the last Frankfurt Zoological Society sponsored
census in October last year, are given as mere 13,000 elephant, down from an estimated 70,000 in
2005 while in the Ruaha region elephant numbers reduced from over 31,000 to just around 2,.000 in
the span of a few years.
Parliamentary reports last year, undisputed by government – even though the opposition puts the
real number of elephant poached in Tanzania as much higher – confirmed the loss of about 10,000
elephants through poaching, or around 30 a day. The sheer scale of the poaching in Tanzania puts to
shame the country and in particular hangs over the presidency of Jakaya Kikwete like a dark cloud,
as he is now in the history books as the president with the arguably worst record in losing elephant
and doing the least to stop it. This led to wide ranging allegations of top government officials
benefitting from the blood ivory trade and only of late have more robust statements been made by
Kikwete, though concrete action and success are still a long way off.
Kenya has meanwhile passed the presently toughest anti-poaching laws with President Kenyatta
signing the bill into law on Christmas Eve last year, providing for life terms in prison and crippling
financial fines for poachers, traders and their financiers when convicted in court. Kenya’s loss of
elephant is numbered in the hundreds but has also seen the highest number of rhinos poached last
year, which led to an unofficial shoot to kill understanding when poachers open fire on rangers and
security personnel.
SOUTH AFRICA :
FIVE MINUTES: South Africa
Daily Maverick Staff Reporter/13 Jan 2014
A round-up of the day’s news from South Africa.
GIFT OF THE GIVERS NEGOTIATING FOR KIDNAPPED SA MAN
Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman says negotiations with a group of kidnappers holding a
South African teacher for ransom in Yemen are ongoing. Sooliman told Sapa a staff member in his
Yemen office was in “constant contact” with Pierre Korkie’s captors. Korkie’s wife, Yolande, was
released earlier this week with the help of the NGO. But the kidnappers on Friday demanded $3
million for the release of Pierre Korkie, to be paid within eight days. Sooliman said the aim was to
first get the deadline extended, and then to “bring down the amount” the kidnappers are demanding.
South Africa’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia is in Yemen to help bring Yolande Korkie back home.
The Korkies were kidnapped in May last year.
NO MORE TENDERS FOR KZN INDIANS, SAYS BLACK GROUP
A black business group in KwaZulu-Natal has threatened to boycott the ANC unless the government
stops giving tenders to Indians. City Press reported the Imbumba Business Group believes its
members, numbering around 700, are being denied business opportunities in the province as an elite
group of Indians run its economy. Another formation, the Mazibuye African Forum, has printed
inflammatory pamphlets in which they accuse the ANC of making empty promises. It said it “loves
the congress, but as black businesspeople, we are fed up with your Indians”. Its founder told the
newspaper he was aware the pamphlet could “spark a war” between Indians and black people.
SECURITY SERVICES PROTECTED ZUMA FROM BOOING
President Jacob Zuma was protected from being booed at the launch of the ANC’s election manifest
in Nelspruit. The Sunday Times reported extraordinary security measures were put in place such as
pre-registering supporters and ensuring they sat according to the provinces from which they came.
Security sources told the newspaper they knew which buses came from where and whom the
passengers were, ensuring a partisan crowd were in place to cheer the president. High-level officials
including security minister Siyabonga Cwele are said to have visited unhappy residents living near
the Mbombela Stadium where the rally took place.
DA WANTS INVESTIGATION INTO USE OF SECURITY AGENTS FOR ANC BUSINESS
The Democratic Alliance has slammed the use of state intelligence operatives to protect President
Jacob Zuma from those who might have booed him at the launch of the ANC’s election manifesto.
Security spokesman Dirk Stubbe said it would ask Inspector General of Intelligence, Faith Radebe,
to investigate whether intelligence agents and and police officers were used to “counter any moves
by rogue elements within and outside the ANC who intend to embarrass President Zuma by booing
him in front of the media”. The use of state intelligence operatives for political purposes is
unconstitutional, and in contravention of state intelligence legislation,” Stubbe said.
ANC MEMBERS ARRESTED FOR STONING EFF SUPPORTERS
Police in KwaZulu-Natal have arrested ANC supporters after they clashed with members of the
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Nkandla, Sapa reported. Julius Malema and the EFF were
handing over a house they had built for a neighbour of President Jacob Zuma’s. The house was
constructed just 300m from Zuma’s private residence. ANC members threw stones and bottles at the
EFF before police intervened using truncheons, rubber bullets and a water cannon to disperse the
crowd and separate the groups. Police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane said 30 people were
arrested and would face charges of public violence.
ZUMA ANNOUNCED CRACKDOWN ON CORRUPTION
President Jacob Zuma announced a crackdown on corruption when he presented the ANC's
manifesto for elections this year. Zuma, who has ruled since 2009 and himself faces allegations of
graft and abuse of power, announced the measures at a packed African National Congress (ANC)
rally in Mpumalanga. Zuma made a point of pledging the anti-corruption drive when he presented
the ANC's 2014 elections manifesto to a partisan crowd in a soccer stadium in the city of Nelspruit.
Taking aim at a major source of corruption in South Africa – government tenders often awarded to
political allies, friends and family members – Zuma said his administration would create a "central
tender board" to allocate all government contracts. Currently, government entities individually
tender for services.
DA: ANC ELECTION MANIFESTO FAILS TO INSPIRE SA
The African National Congress’s election manifesto and President Jacob Zuma failed to inspire
South Africans, says Mmusi Maimane, DA premier candidate for Gauteng and spokesman for the
party. Maimane said in 2009 Zuma promised five million new jobs, and he now swore six million
jobs would be created through the expanded public works programme but the “fact” was that 1.4
million people had lost jobs. “The unemployment crisis is the single defining failure of President
Zuma's five years in office…” Maimane said, adding that Zuma “could not provide one socialeconomic marker by which life has improved for South Africans since 2009”.
ARRIVE ALIVE: DALINDYEBO’S DAGGA HABIT NOT NEGATIVE
AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo's dagga-smoking habit does not have a negative effect
on Arrive Alive’s road safety campaign, the organisation says. Dalindyebo is an ambassador for the
campaign in his Eastern Cape district, Sapa reported. Spokesman Tshepo Machaea said
Dalindyebo’s use of dagga "does not change anything”. “We understand that no one is above the
law, but we are concentrating on the positive that he is bringing to the campaign because he is very
vocal about speaking about drinking and driving," Machaea said. DM
TANZANIA :
KENYA :
Kenya seeking increased cooperation with Iran
Monday 13 January 2014/tehrantimes.com
TEHRAN – Kenyan Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro says the African country is seeking to increase
its cooperation with Iran.
“We hope that we will make good achievements in cooperation in oil, mining, and agricultural
sectors,” the Kenyan official told reporters after a meeting with Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani
in Tehran on Sunday.
“We have pinned our hopes on cooperation with our friends in order to move ahead with Kenya’s
development plan,” he said, according to a translation of his remarks.
On the recent wave of terrorist activities in Africa, he said that terrorism has posed a serious threat
to the security of Kenya, adding that his country, as a key regional player, has played an active role
to deal with the issue.
In addition, he said that terrorism is not only a threat to the security of Iran and Kenya, but it is a
phenomenon which endangers the security of the world.
Mr. Ethuro has traveled to Iran at the head of a parliamentary delegation to hold talks with Iranian
officials on bilateral relations.
Iranian Majlis speaker also told reporters after the meeting that the Islamic Republic is keen to
increase its cooperation with Nairobi in mining and agricultural sectors in view of the African
country’s capabilities in these sectors.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Larijani said that Tehran and Nairobi have close views on developments
in the Middle East and Africa.
AM/PA
Kenya: 30 Al Shabaab Fighters Killed
By Dominic Wabala/allafrica.com/11 January 2014
An air strike by Kenya Defence Force jets yesterday killed thirty Al Shabaab fighters in Garbarahey
area in Gedo, Somalia. KDF operations information officer Colonel Cyrus Oguna said those killed
include senior leaders of the terror group.
He said KDF soldiers encountered the al Shabaab fighters in a fight that laft five hevicles belonging
to the militants destroyed,. Oguna made the remarks in a military brief sent to media yesterday.
"On 9/01/2014 at 1800hrs at Garbarahey in Gedo region of Somalia, KDF fighter jets attacked an al
Shabaab camp during a meeting.Initial battle damage assessment indicate that more than 30 Al
Shabaab militants killed including key commanders. Scores of others escaped with multiple
injuries. More than five vehicles and key assets were destroyed," the report said.
Major Emmanuel Chirchir in his tweet said the Al Shabaab leader Ali Godane escaped the strike
when he left the meeting point 30 minutes before the attacks
The airstrike comes after the KDF conducted a changeover in October which saw the return of its
previous troops, which hasspent a year in Somalia
President Uhuru Kenyatta last year vowed to "teach" Al Shabaab a lesson after the terror group
claimed responsibility for the September 21, 2013 Westgate Shopping Mall terror attack.
Some 67 people died and more than 200 injured when gunmen stormed the mall.
ANGOLA :
AU/AFRICA :
Libye : un vice-ministre abattu par des activistes
( Xinhua )/13.01.2014
Le vice-ministre de l'Industrie de la Libye, Hassan Darole, a été abattu à Syrte, à 500 kilomètres à
l'est de la capitale libyenne Tripoli, ont indiqué dimanche des sources sécuritaires à Xinhua.
M. Darole a été abattu par des activistes non identifiés près du marché Mekmdas dans le centre-ville
de Syrte, lors d'une visite de sa ville natale, selon une source sécuritaire. Sa mort a également été
confirmée par une source médicale à l'hôpital Ibn Sina de Syrte.
M. Darole était également membre du Conseil national transitoire formé à la suite de la révolte de
2011 qui a renversé le régime de Mouammar Kadhafi.
Il avait été nommé sous-secrétaire du ministère de l'Industrie avant de devenir vice-ministre dans
l'actuel gouvernement intérimaire.
L'assassinat de M. Darole marque le premier meurtre d'un homme politique en Libye après la
révolution. Alors que les autorités libyennes luttent encore pour mettre en place des institutions
démocratiques, l'armée et la police du pays toujours en cours d'entraînement ne sont pas en mesure
d'assumer pleinement leur devoir.
La Libye connaît des violences sporadiques depuis l'effondrement du régime du colonel Kadhafi,
notamment des attaques contre des responsables de l'armée et des forces de sécurité.
Alerte à la bombe sur un A340 de Turkish Airlines
le 13 janvier 2014/François Duclos/air-journal.fr
Un Airbus A340-300 de la compagnie aérienne Turkish Airlines s’est posé en urgence à l’aéroport
de Casablanca dimanche, suite à une alerte à la bombe qui s’est révélée fausse.
Le vol TK15 de la compagnie nationale turque avait décollé le 12 janvier 2014 vers 9h45 de
l’aéroport d’Istanbul – Atatürk à destination de Sao Paulo au Brésil, avec 229 passagers à bord.
Selon le quotidien Hurriyet, c’est la découverte dans la cabine d’un ordinateur portable non réclamé
par les voyageurs qui a déclenché une procédure d’alerte à la bombe. L’A340 s’est alors dérouté
vers Casablanca, où les passagers ont été évacués pendant que des équipes de déminage fouillaient
l’avion, certains médias marocains parlant d’un téléphone portable plutôt que de laptop tandis que
des responsables de l’aéroport mentionnaient un « problème technique ».
Turkish Airlines a confirmé l’atterrissage d’urgence à la presse turque, sans donner plus de détails.
L’A340 a repris sa route une fois la fouille terminée, et s’est posé au Brésil avec quatre heures de
retard.
UN/AFRICA :
10,000 flee to Sudan from South Sudan fighting: UN
Agence France-Presse/January/12/2014
KHARTOUM Around 10,000 people have fled north to Sudan from South Sudan where government troops and
rebels have battled for the past month, the UN's refugee agency said on Sunday.
"10,000, this is something we are confident with, that these are confirmed people who have crossed
the border, who have been fleeing the conflict," Nicolas Brass, external relations officer with the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told AFP.
The figure makes Sudan, from which South Sudan separated in 2011, the second-largest recipient of
refugees from the battles between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those of his ex vicepresident Riek Machar.
About 32,000 refugees have fled to Uganda and a total of about 10,000 others have gone to Ethiopia
and Kenya, the United Nations says.
US/AFRICA :
NRIs based in US and South Africa are eying DDA flats
Shibaji Roychoudhury/indiatoday.intoday.in/January 13, 2014
Every time the Delhi Development Authority ( DDA) launches a housing scheme, it draws
tremendous interest from the city residents. The difference this time is the response from nonresident Indians ( NRIs) who have bombarded the DDA office with queries about its upcoming
scheme.
This also belies recent reports that the NRI community's interest in Indian property was falling due
to revival of the real estate markets like the US and Europe.
Since the news about the DDA's upcoming scheme came out on January 7, since then 400- 500 calls
have been made by NRIs based in the US and South Africa to the authority's office enquiring about
it.
" Telephones at the housing department have not stopped ringing since the announcement was
made," a DDA official said. " Government housing schemes always generate a lot of interest
because as compared to private housing schemes, they are priced lower. They are also considered a
safer bet in terms of authenticity." While the DDA is yet to confirm the total number of flats under
the new scheme, there could be 1,000- 3,000 units spread across Narela, Dwarka and Rohini. Some
of the flats from earlier schemes may also be put for rebidding.
The official said the sudden interest, particularly among NRIs, is due to location and basic facilities
available in DDA flats.
" Be it water, electricity or sewage system, when it comes to government flats, these facilities work
smoothly as compared to private housing complexes," he said.
Under the new scheme, there will be flats raging from one room tenement to three- bedroom flats.
A person above the age of 18 years, residing in any part of the country, can apply for the scheme
provided he does not own any residential flat or plot in full or in part on leasehold or freehold basis
in Delhi either in their name or in the name of their spouse.
" Buying a house/ flat in Delhi from a private builder is impossible.
Government flats are comparatively cheaper," Kabid Choudhury, an NRI living in Chicago who
also made a query about the DDA scheme, told Mail Today.
South Sudan crisis: US envoy meets rebel leader Machar
12 January 2014/bbc.co.uk
Efforts to broker a ceasefire in South Sudan have continued with a US special envoy and other
mediators meeting the rebel leader, Riek Machar.
Special envoy Donald Mr Booth met Mr Machar at an undisclosed location in South Sudan.
He said later mediators would continue to press for the release of jailed associates of Mr Machar for
them to attend peace talks in Ethiopia.
A rebel spokesman said a ceasefire would be signed if they were freed.
Speaking to BBC News, spokesman Hussein Mar Nyuot dismissed claims from the South Sudanese
government that its forces were now in full control of Unity State.
He also described as baseless a government allegation that forces loyal to Mr Machar had damaged
oil facilities there.
In another development, South Sudan's Oil Minister, Stephen Dhieu Dau, visited Khartoum to
discuss the impact of the conflict on the oil industry with his Sudanese counterpart, Makawi
Mohammed Awad.
South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 after a long and bloody conflict, to become the world's
newest state.
Mobilisation
The UN Security Council has urged South Sudan President Salva Kiir to release the political
prisoners.
However, Mr Machar's forces appear on the back foot after losing the town of Bentiu, the capital of
oil-rich Unity State, to government forces on Friday.
The government says it is mobilising thousands of troops to retake Bor - the last major town
controlled by Mr Machar's forces.
The conflict began on 15 December between forces loyal to the president and forces loyal to Mr
Machar, his former vice-president.
According to the UN, the fighting has killed "very substantially in excess" of 1,000 people.
CANADA/AFRICA :
AUSTRALIA/AFRICA :
EU/AFRICA :
CHINA/AFRICA :
Abe pitches 'business diplomacy' in Africa to counter China
January 13, 2014/ajw.asahi.com
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
MAPUTO, Mozambique--Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is on a mission of business diplomacy in his
current trip to Africa to secure valuable natural resources for Japan, as rival China also is making a
major push into the world's second largest continent.
"Africa is the frontier for Japanese diplomacy," Abe said prior to leaving Japan.
Abe has stressed in the past that it is extremely important for Japan economically to incorporate the
activity being generated in Africa.
His current visit to Mozambique, where he arrived Jan. 11, is considered paramount because Japan
has high expectations for that nation.
A major reason is the discovery of some of the world's largest gas fields in the southeast African
nation since around 2011. Estimated gas reserves have been set at 100 trillion cubic feet, which
would represent more than 20 years of annual gas consumption in Japan.
Major trading company Mitsui & Co. obtained a 20-percent stake from Anadarko Petroleum Corp.
of the United States. Plans call for the annual production of 10 million tons of liquefied natural gas
in 2018.
"There is the possibility this could become the third major (LNG) center behind Qatar and
Australia," said Taira Nozaki, general manager of Mitsui's office in Mozambique. "Diversifying the
sources for energy will lead to a stable supply."
There are also plans for the development of agricultural lands.
A major program being promoted by Japan is the ProSAVANA project in northern Mozambique,
which is designed to turn an area of about 11 million hectares into a major grain production site.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency is working with Mozambique and Brazil on the
project.
During a Jan. 12 meeting with Mozambique President Armando Guebuza, Abe announced a plan to
provide about 70 billion yen ($676 million) in official development assistance until 2017 for the
development of the Nacala corridor region that lies in northern coastal Mozambique. In addition to
the natural resources in the region, there is also a plan to improve the social infrastructure around
Nacala, which faces the Indian Ocean and is expected to play a major role as an export base.
A major reason for Japan's investment and agricultural land development are the moves being made
by China.
According to AidData, a U.S. research organization, between 2000 and 2011, China invested $75
billion in Africa for various development projects. The money has gone not only into resources
development, but also for the construction of roads and harbors, as well as in the fields of finance,
retailing, education and medicine.
There are an estimated 1 million Chinese living in Africa, about 100 times more than the number of
Japanese on the continent.
Chinese leaders have also visited Africa frequently. As Abe visits three nations in Africa, Chinese
Foreign Minister Wang Yi also began a four-nation trip to Africa on Jan. 6.
However, experts warn against simply competing with China.
"Japan has gained a certain amount of goodwill in Africa with its history of assistance programs,"
said Sayaka Funada-Classen, an associate professor of African studies at the Tokyo University of
Foreign Studies. "That appraisal will be thrown away if it only tries to do the same thing as China in
a race to provide support."
Abe's visit to Mozambique is designed to turn the nation into a strategic base in Africa as Japan tries
to counter China. A Foreign Ministry source said Mozambique "is a nation with the highest
expectations for growth in the world."
Accompanying Abe are representatives of Japanese corporations from a wide range of sectors,
including trading firms as well as companies in natural resources, social infrastructure,
manufacturing, education and medicine.
Abe attended an investment forum in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, and also arranged for the
company representatives to meet with Guebuza.
Japan has been involved in Mozambique beyond business issues. The Self-Defense Forces were
sent to a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Mozambique in 1993 after the end of a civil
war.
Participating in peacekeeping missions by the SDF is a major example of the visionary pacifism
based on international cooperation that Abe has stressed as a major pillar of his diplomacy.
Prior to visiting Mozambique, Abe stopped in Ivory Coast for a meeting with President Alassane
Ouattara. The two issued a joint statement that included an agreement for Japan to provide about
$7.7 million to help former soldiers who fought in the civil war there find civilian jobs, as well as to
cooperate in social infrastructure construction.
INDIA/AFRICA :
BRAZIL/AFRICA :
EN BREF, CE 13 Janvier 2014...
AGNEWS/DAM, NY, 13/01/2014